FHFA: Realignment of Agency Structure Announced
Today, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced a realignment that will further bolster FHFA’s capacity as a world-class regulator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) and the Federal Home Loan Banks. The realignment of its structure is designed to ensure that the Agency is well-positioned for the Enterprises to responsibly exit conservatorship. “The changes we are…
HUD: Guidance Issued on Reasonable Accommodations under the Fair Housing Act Relating to Assistance Animals
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced the publication of guidance clarifying how housing providers can comply with the Fair Housing Act when assessing a person’s request to have an animal in housing to provide assistance because of a disability. The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing against individuals who…
FHFA: House Price Index Up 0.2 Percent in November; Up 4.9 Percent from Last Year
U.S. house prices rose in November, up 0.2 percent from the previous month, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index (HPI). House prices rose 4.9 percent from November 2018 to November 2019. The previously reported 0.2 percent increase for October 2019 was revised upward to 0.4 percent. For the nine census divisions, seasonally adjusted monthly…
HUD and Census Bureau: Residential Construction Activity Report for December 2019
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau jointly announced the following new residential construction statistics for December 2019. Building Permits Privately owned housing units authorized by building permits in December were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,416,000. This is 3.9 percent (±1.6 percent) below the revised…
HUD: New Rule Proposed Recognizing Additional Building Codes and Standards to Encourage More Housing Development
Proposed Rule to Adopt New Safe Harbors for Complying with the Fair Housing Act’s Design and Construction Requirements in Multifamily Housing The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced a proposed rule that would recognize additional sets of standards and model building code editions that, when followed in the design and construction of new…
HUD: Nearly $500,000 Awarded to Public Housing Authorities to Help Young People Aging Out of Foster Care
U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson today awarded $482,000 to four housing authorities to assist young people aging out of foster care and who are at risk of experiencing homelessness. See chart below. Secretary Ben Carson made the announcement during an interview with Jericka Duncan on CBS This Morning. Funded through HUD’s new Foster…
HUD: Building HOME Online Training Series Launched
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today launched the new Building HOME online training series for the HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program. Building HOME online training is an interactive, self-paced online training which guides grantees through 12 modules, providing a foundation of the regulatory requirements of the program and practical advice for implementing…
CFPB: No-Action Letter Issued to Facilitate Housing Counseling Services for Prospective Home Buyers
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Bureau) granted a no-action letter (NAL) to Bank of America, N.A. regarding the bank’s funding arrangements with housing counseling agencies (HCAs) certified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). NALs provide increased regulatory certainty through a statement that the Bureau will not bring a supervisory or enforcement…
FHFA: Nearly 4.4 Million Homeowners Helped Since Conservatorship
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today released its third quarter 2019 Foreclosure Prevention and Refinance Report, which shows that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) completed 26,475 foreclosure prevention actions in the third quarter of 2019, bringing the total number of foreclosure prevention actions to 4,381,036 since September 2008. The report also shows that 37 percent of loan modifications…
HUD: 2019 Annual Homeless Assessment Report Released
Homelessness Increase in California Offsets Combined Decrease in All other States;Continued Declines Noted Among Veterans and Families with Children Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released its 2019 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress. The report certified last month by HUD Secretary Ben Carson, found that 567,715 persons experienced homelessness on a single night…